Looking for a piece of equipment...

B

Benreturns

New member
i believe an enhancer is what it is...
...for when im mixing down. I want something that will brighten and clear up my sound whilst keeping the bass punchy. I would like my vocals to stand out a little bit more.

What does anyone think to this bit of gear? (i like that retro look to!)

http://www.behringer.com/02_product...=T1954&lang=eng

Why is it a 'tube' enhancer? Whats the difference with that and a regualr enhancer?

Can anyone else reccomend a good model? The lower the budget the better

Thanks
 
If your song arrangement is tight, and you do your tracking proeprly, there should be no need for any "enhancer" at all during mixing.....
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
If your song arrangement is tight, and you do your tracking proeprly, there should be no need for any "enhancer" at all during mixing.....
Click to expand...
ie -- don't waste your money on this.... work on your skills and save your money for something with more practical use!!!
 
So you lot dont use enhancers then? I have a single channel effects unit with mixdown effets and when i used that it really made my mix hot. Trouble is i'l be using that unit for chorus/reverb at mixdown so thought about a stand alone bit of gear would help.
 
Actually - I *do* use enhancers.... when a client brings in tracks that need rescuing because they were poorly tracked/recorded, then an ehancer can be useful for rescue operations, but they really aren't a replacement for getting it done right in the first place.

So seriously - work on getting it right during tracking and you'll find your mixes will come together a lot more easily. Don't use gear as an excuse for lack of skills!
 
Benreturns said:
i believe an enhancer is what it is...
...for when im mixing down. I want something that will brighten and clear up my sound whilst keeping the bass punchy. I would like my vocals to stand out a little bit more.

Can anyone else reccomend a good model?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Well, there is the Brad Blackwood model, The Dave Collins Model and Bob Katz models in the upper range. There are some other models that are cheaper but I need to know your budget? 65 an hour will get you Thomas Bethel.

SoMm
 
I read a couple of reviews on the behringer 1954. There's some over at harmony-central too:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Behringer/T1954-01.html

It's like anything else some folks hate it, some folks love it. Sometimes from the reviews you can tell the level of user. One thing that bothered me is that more than one person mentioned that the BBE processor was a better piece of equipment...if that's the case you probably don't want to use this in a recording or pre-mastering chain just like you really don't want a BBE in there.

Maybe it's a P.A. type of processor - sounding good in a live situation. Hard to tell though without trying it. If you have a Guitar Center near you then pick one up try it out and return it within 30 days if it sucks and give us a review ! :)

The problem I have in using exciters an enhancers of that type on recordings is that my brain and ears become accustomed to the psychacoustic effect of the hi-mids and highs pretty quickly. Before I know it everything is sounding really great and brittle - in fact the next morning when I listen again (after the ears get a break) it is quite brittle. The 1954 does have an adjustable tuning range (1KHz-8KHz) so that might help but it is probably just that - a high shelf.

I was wondering how the SPL Vitalizer ($) sounds but that might just be more of the same thing. SOS magazine likes that one though...I trust them a bit.

kylen
 
If things are not sitting well in your mix, you don't need an enhancer, you need a good pre amp! However, if your mixes are always muddy than you could be having issues with your room.

Can you tell us more about how you record (i.e., equipment, room)? That may porvide more insight into your mix problems.
 
Well ive been recording properly for about a month or so and the room isnt treated very well at all. I record my vocals in the same room as i record and mix - you could call it a bedroom set up. The mic gives alot of room static and allthought when i record induvidual tracks they sound good to me, after 8 tracks it can get a bit muddy espeically with the vocals.
Like i said when i used my FX unit on a 'power mix' setting i was impressed with the results and thought a stand alone enhancer mite help.
When recording with the mic (samson c01 condenser) i plug it straight into the XLR input on my portastudio (tascam 488mkII) and use the geats own preamps.
As a side note, i have aquired a large role of new carpet cut off and wondering what i could do with that if anything to treat the room?
 
Hey Ben,
Been reading the posts. I have an enhancer, 4 years old now, it's a Berry Ultrafex Pro, the $99 one. I never use it in recording my music, although it is helpful with boosting a smaller PA's sound or giving your monitors a bit of kick. I ude to record in our spare bedroom, my wife came in one day and said "what are ya doing?", I took all the matresses and box springs of the two twin beds and made me a sound "module" haha, that was 14 years ago, I still use the name "Fat Matress Studio" lol. If your music is muddied, it could be your equipment, talent, studio, the list goes on or maybe your overdriving your takes, the enhancer won't help. I have a Tascam 424 that I use for ideas, I don't go direct to the Tascam pres, I run through a good mixer at 0, with decent pres first, keeping at 0-3 range on Tascam, eq's at center and re-eq when mixing. Hope this helps some. I'm with the guys here, save the money and invest in some good mic pres or condenser mic (I've got samson also, there's better) good luck and have fun!
 
Seems the trouble might possibly be the pre-amp then or the mic itself.

So then...
Can anyone reccomend a good condenser and pre or a combination of both? I want the cleanest sound possible for the lower end of the budget... (£100 - £200ish)?
 
Unfortunately Ben, £200ish may get you a decent mic (low-end). A pre amp, will run £350ish. Some pres to consider are Great River ME-1NV, Grace101, RNP, Focusrite.
 
Hey Ben

£100 to £200 puts you firmly in M-Audio DMP3 territory (Digital Village has them for £174.99. You could probably get it cheaper if you know a friendly Yank).
 
Ben: Buy a Behringer Ultramizer. It's really low budget, and sounds like crap, but does what you want and more.
 
I have the BBE Sonic Maximizer software plugin. I use it sometimes on individual tracks - usually bass tracks - but would never use it on a whole mix. Let the mastering engineer apply any appropriate fx like these.
 
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